Anti-Liquor Movement, a reality: PMK Chief

Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, Sep 25 (UNI) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder-leader S Ramadoss today said the party's anti-liquor campaign conferences had now matured to become a movement.

Addressing the press at his Thailapuram Residence here, Dr Ramadoss said the PMK Women's Wing was instrumental in holding the conferences with religious leaders and civil society activists lending support.

Highlighting the problem of liquor consumption among the young, Dr Ramadoss, quoting a survey among students, said students began tasting liquor at the age of 13 and by the time they attained the age of 16, they had already become habitual drinkers.

This was due to the easy availability of liquor without any legal hassles, the survey said adding the policy makers were more concerned about the revenues from liquor sale than the impact of the move on the younger generation.

In a veiled attack on the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, he said while he preferred to call himself as Anna's (Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravidian Stalwart C N Annadurai) thambi (younger brother of Anna), he threw his ideals in the air.

When Anna was the Chief Minister in 1968, he gave a call during an All India Prohibition Conference, held here, for total prohibition as he felt it was more important to wipe the tears of women and remove the worries of children than give importance to revenues.

However, Anna's Thambi thought revenues from liquor sale were more important than people.

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